Is your business still running on Windows 7? If so, you should be aware that in a few months Windows 7 will officially come to an end. By January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer provide technical support, software updates, and security patches for Windows 7.
If you continue using Windows 7 for your business, you’re putting your company at risk because without security updates and any form of network support, the chances of your computers being hacked significantly rises. Another thing to consider is, if your company is following HIPAA regulations, it will fail the annual audits if you continue using outdated and unsupported operating systems.
Don’t do this by yourself
We recommend upgrading your company's computers and operating system as soon as possible to avoid the end-of-support deadline. If you're worried about how your business can handle the switch, then you SHOULD NOT do this alone. Upgrading an entire business from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is an immense task that requires a team of professionals who are reliable and experienced. Hiring an MSP who will work with you all the way through the transition is the best course of action — even if you have an internal IT team — especially if your IT team has never done OS upgrades before.
Here are some reasons why you should hire an MSP to help make the transition from Windows 7 to Windows 10 a breeze.
Inventory
While in the planning stages of the migration, your MSP will take an inventory of every user, machine, software, cloud-based app, and endpoint used in your organization. Once this is done, Microsoft toolkits can be used to start testing Windows 10 to map out plans for the actual deployment.
System Checks
Are your laptops and desktops fairly new, or are they more than three years old? If your company's computers are less than three years old, upgrading to Windows 10 won't be much of an issue. However, if they are more than three years old, we strongly suggest that you replace them with new units before migrating. Older computers will have performance issues, and might not be fully compatible with Windows 10. This can interfere with your company’s daily operations. An MSP can help you identify when it makes sense to upgrade and when to replace.
License compatibility
Do your existing software licenses allow you to upgrade a specific software to a version that is compatible with Windows 10? As a business owner, you should know what your company is entitled to within your current software license agreements.
Imagine buying 200 brand new Windows 10 licenses only to find out that your existing licensing agreement comes with 100 free upgrades. That's a big waste of both time and money. An MSP will ensure this never happens and get you the proper licenses.
Upgrade as quickly as possible
When it comes to migrating your computers from Windows 7 to Windows 10, the sooner you start, the better. Our goal is to complete the transition before the deadline. Depending on the size of your organization, migration usually takes a year to complete, sometimes even longer.
We suggest staggering the rollout of Windows 10 to your IT experts and beta testers first. By limiting the deployment to one department at a time, your IT team will be able to isolate potential problems more effectively.
What if you missed the deadline?
If your organization somehow missed the Windows 10 deadline, there's no need to worry. Microsoft will provide extended support to its customers, but it will come with a per-device cost. This cost will steadily increase until extended support expires at the end of January 2023.
Microsoft is also releasing a "virtual desktop" designed to virtualize Windows 7 applications. This is ideal for businesses that need to push through with their migration but don't have the time or resources to work on application compatibility problems.
Here at F1 Solutions, we will provide your business with a custom-fit solution that will help you upgrade your systems to Windows 10 without disrupting your operations. Our technical experts are ready to work with your IT team for a smooth and problem-free transition. Contact us today to learn more about our business IT support services.
